observerspotter's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jordynfreeman's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
interrowhimper's review against another edition
5.0
I hate the portrait of Rand on this cover.
The whole subplot of Rand planning to fight Sammael and liberate Illian takes FOREVER to develop, and that's tedious.
The whole subplot of Rand planning to fight Sammael and liberate Illian takes FOREVER to develop, and that's tedious.
jnak's review against another edition
5.0
Robert Jordan is pretty amazing! The stories/characters are so complex and detailed I can’t imagine having such imagination!
neverlearnedtoread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ronitjauthor's review against another edition
3.0
The slog is real.
SPOILERS AHEAD
After the high of the Lord of Chaos, CoS felt very dull. Of course, Jordan does a great job in painting a rich tapestry populated with many realistic characters. However, this complex world just kept growing (organically I must admit) and that was a little overwhelming after a point, especially when that growth doesn’t manifest into anything concrete (yet). Conversely, this book felt underwhelming after the previous one, and this was the first time in the series where I actually was bored.
Not much happened for about half the book. I found myself wanting to skip chapters and paragraphs because of how slowly they progressed. I wanted to stab Tylin in the face, especially after she sexually assaulted Mat. What the hell? A lot of the minor POVs (Sevanna mostly) were tough to read, mostly cause I'm not really interested in Sevanna's plot. I don't care if she's dealing with the Foresaken or what the Shaido are up to. They should've just been done with after Fires of Heaven but they keep coming back. I guess Sevanna's ultimate end would be satisfying (I hope), but for the moment I just wanna focus on the main roster and see what they're up to. Even Perrin and Faile's husband-wife conflicts felt weird. Very real, tbh, but very annoying at the same time. Overall, the first half or so of the book felt like a set-up for the finale (which is 7 books later but Jordan probably had underestimated the number). That I guess what made it so difficult. All setup but not enough payoff.
Now, I understand why all this setup is needed. Jordan’s world is one of the most fully-realised fantasy worlds out there. However, that isn’t an excuse for the story being dull. Probably the 4 book slog (Winter’s Heart isn’t a slog apparently, so 3 book slog) is made up for with the 4 book payoff in the end. However, the slog is very much real. It’s all part of the experience, but that experience is most certainly gonna lead many readers to drop this series.
I think one of the biggest issues was Rand acting stupid. Okay, he’s literally going mad and it makes complete sense why he’s acting the way he is. His motivations are more than clear and Jordan admittedly does a good job of portraying that madness. But the meanderingly slow way his character is moving ahead, I’m starting to dislike him. I’m more interested in the other characters from the roster than the effin’ Dragon Reborn himself. I’ll admit, the battle with Sammael was epic, but it felt like Rand was acting extremely stupid, especially given that he recovered from an evil wound literally moments before he decided to attack one of the Forsaken.
The other major problem was the lack of closure. I get it, it’s an epic series and there’s still 7 more books to go. But the Bowl of Winds was teased in the previous book, and this whole book was about finding it. Why not use it in the end? That would’ve been a much more satisfying ending to CoS. Yes, the Seanchan invasion was shocking, but it left me feeling incomplete, like it’s a mid-season finale or something (which it kinda is?). I shouldn’t complain but after the slog in the first half of the book, this isn’t how I wanted the book to end. I need more closure. I need more.
I really want to read the next book, but I know I need a few books in between cause apparently the next one is the worst (I judge for myself after reading) of the series. Gotta brace myself.
TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Jordan’s rich writing style, realistic characters, realistically complex politics and rich world-building.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Pacing, lack of closure, some really annoying POVs (Sevanna mostly, but some of Rand)
SPOILERS AHEAD
Spoiler
After the high of the Lord of Chaos, CoS felt very dull. Of course, Jordan does a great job in painting a rich tapestry populated with many realistic characters. However, this complex world just kept growing (organically I must admit) and that was a little overwhelming after a point, especially when that growth doesn’t manifest into anything concrete (yet). Conversely, this book felt underwhelming after the previous one, and this was the first time in the series where I actually was bored.
Not much happened for about half the book. I found myself wanting to skip chapters and paragraphs because of how slowly they progressed. I wanted to stab Tylin in the face, especially after she sexually assaulted Mat. What the hell? A lot of the minor POVs (Sevanna mostly) were tough to read, mostly cause I'm not really interested in Sevanna's plot. I don't care if she's dealing with the Foresaken or what the Shaido are up to. They should've just been done with after Fires of Heaven but they keep coming back. I guess Sevanna's ultimate end would be satisfying (I hope), but for the moment I just wanna focus on the main roster and see what they're up to. Even Perrin and Faile's husband-wife conflicts felt weird. Very real, tbh, but very annoying at the same time. Overall, the first half or so of the book felt like a set-up for the finale (which is 7 books later but Jordan probably had underestimated the number). That I guess what made it so difficult. All setup but not enough payoff.
Now, I understand why all this setup is needed. Jordan’s world is one of the most fully-realised fantasy worlds out there. However, that isn’t an excuse for the story being dull. Probably the 4 book slog (Winter’s Heart isn’t a slog apparently, so 3 book slog) is made up for with the 4 book payoff in the end. However, the slog is very much real. It’s all part of the experience, but that experience is most certainly gonna lead many readers to drop this series.
I think one of the biggest issues was Rand acting stupid. Okay, he’s literally going mad and it makes complete sense why he’s acting the way he is. His motivations are more than clear and Jordan admittedly does a good job of portraying that madness. But the meanderingly slow way his character is moving ahead, I’m starting to dislike him. I’m more interested in the other characters from the roster than the effin’ Dragon Reborn himself. I’ll admit, the battle with Sammael was epic, but it felt like Rand was acting extremely stupid, especially given that he recovered from an evil wound literally moments before he decided to attack one of the Forsaken.
The other major problem was the lack of closure. I get it, it’s an epic series and there’s still 7 more books to go. But the Bowl of Winds was teased in the previous book, and this whole book was about finding it. Why not use it in the end? That would’ve been a much more satisfying ending to CoS. Yes, the Seanchan invasion was shocking, but it left me feeling incomplete, like it’s a mid-season finale or something (which it kinda is?). I shouldn’t complain but after the slog in the first half of the book, this isn’t how I wanted the book to end. I need more closure. I need more.
I really want to read the next book, but I know I need a few books in between cause apparently the next one is the worst (I judge for myself after reading) of the series. Gotta brace myself.
TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Jordan’s rich writing style, realistic characters, realistically complex politics and rich world-building.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Pacing, lack of closure, some really annoying POVs (Sevanna mostly, but some of Rand)
gildius's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75